Probably not enough
Maybe, ever so slowly, they are starting to catch on, just a little.
The president of cycling’s governing body has held emergency talks with other international sports federations about creating tougher new rules for the participation of trans women in elite women’s sport “within months”.
In a notable intervention, the UCI president, David Lappartient, said cycling’s current rules, which allow trans women to compete against cis women if they reduce their testosterone to below 5 nmol/L for a period of 12 months, were “probably not enough” to ensure fair competition.
“Probably” as in “ya think”?
He also suggested that other sports including athletics and swimming were in a similar boat and that coordinated action might be needed.
“It is a very sensitive topic at the moment,” he said. “The question is, is there a memory from your body from what you were before? Do you have an advantage for this? Do we have a breach of fair competition?”
A memory? No. The same body, with some light modifications or no modifications at all. See: Lia Thomas, passim.
The participation of trans women in elite sport has become a topical issue with the US swimmer Lia Thomas becoming the first trans athlete to win a national college title a fortnight ago.
And why did Lia Thomas make the issue topical? Because it’s so grotesquely obvious how unfair his presence in the women’s competition is.
Earlier this week swimming’s governing body, Fina, proposed a new rule that will require trans women to reduce their testosterone for at least 36 months before competing in the women’s category – and put the burden of proof on the athlete to demonstrate they have no retained advantage.
That’s not good enough. Look at Lia Thomas.
Hurry up.
Still screwing around with testosterone levels? J.F.C. The situation isn’t “delicate” or “complicated” or “sensitive.”
It’s a disgrace and a scandal. You don’t need a fucking test tube to solve it. You just need to open your eyes and grow a spine.
First off, stop using the terms “cis” and “trans” followed by the word woman. This obscures the whole root of the problem and the source of the unfairness to female athletes. Trans identified males are not women. Never have been, never will be. Any efforts extended to “include” them in women’s sports is a gross insult to all women. Any sporting federation or authority that puts energy into this excersize is telling the entire world (but women in particular) that they are on the side of liars, cheats and frauds. Against women.
The solution is simple and easy to implement. No men in women’s sports. None. Zero. Nada. That’s all, that’s it, that’s everything. Anything else is pandering to bullshit, and destructive to the very idea of women’s sports altogether.
Such men need to decide if they want to continue their careers or if they want to “transition.” I don’t know why this part is so difficult. Participiating in sports may be a human right, Rhys, but changing sex class to keep winning medals isn’t.
It’s all portrayed very dishonestly, is if trans ID males have no opportunities nor choice in the matter and the rules need to be bent to restore them.
I don’t see how participating in sports is a right. Does it fall under the pursuit of happiness? After all, happiness is far from a right, but the pursuit is (arguably). The pursuit doesn’t guarantee the attainment. What Rhys really means is the right to cheat. Cheating is not a right either, but if it gives you personal happiness at the expense of others, is it still a right?
There are no rules that need bending. The male athletes can participate in male sports just as they always have. No “transition” is needed, and most such male athletes don’t actually undergo any surgical procedures. Just think, you don’t have to suppress your T levels to continue in male sports. Problem solved! Dress how you like. Call yourself whatever you like. Continue to compete in the sport you love (without displacing women from women’s sports). There’s no downside whatsoever, except your actual athletic ability, which will be what it always would have been in the men’s division anyway. But if it’s the sport and competing that you love, and you love the challenge of improving your performance, measure yourself against your peers. No cheese champions who beat up on women. Any accolades you get will be actually earned, instead of stolen by cheating. Just puts the lie to their claims: it’s NOT the sport that they love, and it’s not the thrill of competition. It’s winning by any means necessary. It’s narcissistic attention seeking. It’s cheating by being ringers. It’s lying. It’s despicable.
This part is telling, I think. That looks like a veiled recruitment for allies. When do we look for allies? When we need strength in numbers against enemies. So there’s their motivation: don’t hurt us.